Washboard.



0.1. CARTWRIGHL-I WASHBOARD;

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23. 91s,

Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

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UNITED srarns PATENT orrrcn.

CHARLES L. CARTWBIGI-IT, OF NEW DECATUR, ALABAMA.

WASHBOARD.

App1ication filed June 23, 1916. Serial No. 105,451.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES L. CART- WRIGHT, a native-born citizen of the United States, residing at New Decatur, in the county of Morgan and State of Alabama, have invented new and useful Improvements in l/Vashboards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in wash boards and especially with reference to improvements in a soap holder for wash boards and means for automatically operating the soap holder to cause the same to adjust the soap as may be required and thereby obviate the necessity of handling the soap and yet enable soap to be used in any desired quantity on the individual ararranged in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical central longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation of the same.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the same on the plane indicated by the line 4.4: of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a similar View taken on the plane indicated by the line 55 of Fig. 1.

The frame of the wash board comprises a pair of side members 1, a cross board 2, at a suitable distance from the'upper ends of the side members, and a cross bar 3 at a suitable distance from their lower ends. The rubbing board is indicated at 4 and extends from the cross board 2, to the cross bar 3, as shown. j

In accordance with my invention I provide a rock shaft 5 which is mounted in bearings near the rear upper corners of the side members 1 and is arranged at a suitable distance from the cross board 2. A soap holding box 6 is connected to the rock shaft by angled brackets 7 the bottom of the soap Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 6, 1917.

holding box being secured between the long arms 8 of the angle brackets and the shorter arms 9 of said angled brackets projecting forwardly from the rock shaft. A cross bar .10 is at the lower end of the bottom of the or bar of soap and hence coact with the corrugated strip to'securely fasten the soap in the holder.

A roller 15 is mounted in bearings near the lower ends of the side members 1, said roller being below the cross bar 3 and at the lower end of the rubbingboard 4. Said roller is provided with rock arms 16. A pair of link bars 17 operate through openings in the cross board 2, have their lower ends pivota-lly connected to the arms of the roller as at 18 and their upper ends pivotally connected to the shorter arms of'the brackets of the soap holder as at 19. The right hand link bar 17 is provided on its outer side with a series of ratchet teeth 20.

A locking bolt 21 is slidably mounted in a guide 22 which has a slot 23 and said bolt has a pin 24 which operates in said slot. The bolt is normally held in engagement with one of the ratchet teeth of the link bar 17 by a spring 25 and is providedat its outer end with a tappet head 26. A circular right hand side of the frame as at 28 and is provided on its outer side with cam seg-' ments 29 adapted to engage the-inner side of the cam head of the locking bolt. The periphery of the trip 'memberis milled'or corrugated as at 80 and the front edge or side of said trip member projects beyond the front side of the contiguous member 1 of the frame as shown.

When rubbing clothes on'the board, if it be desired to apply soap to the article being rubbed, the user on a down stroke causes the clothes to bear on and partly turn the roller clockwise, thus causing the arms of said roller to exert up thrust on the link bars 17, so that said link bars coact with the angled brackets of the soap holding box to partly turn the rock shaft 5 and cause the same to turn the soap holding box outwardly, thus moving the soap forwardly where it will be brought into contact with the clothes as the latter are moved upwardly on the board. The spring actuated locking bolt engages one of the ratchet teeth of the link bar 17 and hence locks the soap box with the soap in the desired adjusted position. When it is desired to discontinue the use of the soap, the user during a down stroke on the rubbing board manipulates the clothes so as to cause them to engage and by friction partly revolve the trip device, hence causing one of the segment cams thereof to coact with the cammed head of the locking bolt and withdraw the latter from engagement with the toothed link bar and thereupon, the soap box by its own gravity will move rear Wardly, and take the soap with it out of the way of the clothes and so that the articles or clothes being rubbed will not be brought into contact with the soap.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that the soap adjusting and holding devices are automatic in operation and perfectly under the control of the user so that soap in any desired quantity can be used on any article that is being rubbed, and the use of the soap can be discontinued entirely when desired. Hence my invention saves the labor and trouble of having to pick up and apply the soap, effects a great economy in the use of the soap, enables the rubbing of any article to be continued without interruption, and to be at the same time soaped to any desired degree, thus greatly facilitating and hastening the washing and rubbing process.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates, and while I have de scribed the principles of Operation of the device together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In combination with a wash board, a pivotally mounted soap holder, a roller having a rock arm, a rod connecting said rock arm to the soap holder to cause the soap holder to be adjusted when the roller is partly turned, and means to hold the soap holder in adjusted position.

2. In combination with a wash board, a pivotally mounted soap holder, a roller having a rock arm, a rod connecting said rock arm to the soap holder to cause the soap holder to be adjusted when the roller is partly turned, and means to hold the soap holder in adjusted position, and coacting with said rod, and means to disengage said rod holding means.

3. In combination with a wash board, a pivotally mounted soap holder, a roller having a rock arm, a rod connecting said rock arm to the soap holder to cause the soap holder to be adjusted when the roller is partly turned, means to hold the soap holder in adjusted position and coacting with said rod, means to disengage said rod holding means, and comprising a revoluble element adapted to be partly turned by a rubbing movement on the board.

i. In combination with a wash board, a pivotally mounted soap holder, a roller adapted to be turned by rubbing movement on the board, an operating rod for the soap holder connected to and actuated by said roller and provided with ratchet teeth, a spring pressed locking bolt normally engaging one of the ratchet teeth and provided with a cam head, and a revolubly mounted trip element having cams to coact with the cam head of the bolt and cause the latter to be disconnected from the rod, when the said trip element is partly turned.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

CHARLES L. CARTWRIGHT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

